INNOVA REDEVELOPMENT - Key Persons
Adam Blackburn heads Innova's Innova Building Advisors consulting group. His area of expertise is consulting and energy performance certification for developers, designers and builders of multi-family housing. Adam has provided Passive House Verification and ENERGY STAR certification services for over 2,500 homes under both low-rise and high-rise standards. He has leveraged nearly $2MM in energy efficiency incentives and rebates on behalf of affordable housing projects, and has overseen energy efficiency upgrades and capital improvement projects totaling more than $10 million.
Prior to joining Innova in 2009, Adam specialized in integration project management, accruing more than ten years' experience in coordinating engineering design and hardware installation on large-scale technology infrastructure projects. Adam holds a B.A. from Amherst College, is a Certified Passive House Consultant, PHIUS+ Passive House Rater, RESNET Certified Home Energy Rater, ENERGY STAR® for Multifamily High Rise Consultant, and Enterprise Green Communities Consultant.
Adam Blackburn leads Innova's expansion into energy rating services.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Project Manager in Innova 's New England
Adam Kuperman is a Project Manager in Innova's New England division. He joins the team with over two decades of experience in real estate development working regionally out of Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and now Boston. Adam built his career around the promotion of community and economic development with a focus on affordable housing. Most recently Adam worked as a Senior Project Manager for an award-winning nonprofit developer based in Berkeley, CA. During that time, he was independently responsible for overseeing all aspects of the development lifecycle including land acquisition, design, entitlements, financing, permitting, construction, and resident lease-up. Adam focused his efforts on creating beautiful buildings offering sustainable features and high comfort characteristics to enhance residents' quality of life, all while building long-term community assets. Adam holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado Denver.
Job Titles:
- Registered Architect
- Senior Project Manager With
- Senior Project Manager, Baltimore Office
Alex Morris is a Senior Project Manager with Innova Services Corporation, leading the company's Baltimore office. Alex has over 25 years of experience in the design and construction industry, including nearly 20 years of experience in the design, capital planning, and construction of multi-family residential communities.
Before joining Innova, Alex was the Chief of Planning, Design and Construction at the District of Columbia Housing Authority. In Alex's 2-1/2 years at DCHA, he led a team of architects, engineers, urban designers and construction project managers in the planning and implementation of DCHA's public housing capital modernization program. Prior to his work at DCHA, Alex was a Senior Associate at Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC; a multi-disciplinary architectural, planning and landscape design firm. During his 16 years at WRT, Alex oversaw the planning, design and construction of over 2,500 units of mixed-income and affordable housing in over 20 communities in the northeast and mid-Atlantic.
Alex is a registered architect (since 2000) and a PHIUS Certified Passive House Consultant (since 2017), and has experience with other green/sustainable programs, including LEED, Enterprise Green Communities, National Green Building Standard, and Energy Star.
Alex Morris joins Innova to lead a new office in Baltimore to serve Maryland and Virginia. Office is expanded with the addition of Sally Granger in May 2022.
After 15 years in the construction industry specializing in multi-family housing, Mr. Blackburn joins the Innova team.
Job Titles:
- President
- President and Principal Owner
Benton Blackburn is the President and principal owner of Innova Services and its related companies. Ben has been with Innova since 2004, and has led its efforts in owner's representative services, general contracting, capital project management and building diagnostic services. He has personally overseen the successful completion of a wide variety of housing projects, including single family, townhome, historic rehabilitation, urban infill, high rise and student housing developments. In Innova's capacity as General Contractor, Ben has successfully led large-scale renovation projects, specializing in affordable multifamily housing preservation projects with tenants in place.
Bernardino Allegretti is Vice President and head of Innova's development subsidiary, Innova Redevelopment, LLC. Bud has full charge responsibility for Innova's development activities, including property acquisition due diligence, development proforma analysis, land use and construction approvals, design development, contract buy-outs, field work supervision, and marketing and sales. He also serves as Innova's economic analyst, analyzing market trend data in the neighborhoods where Innova projects are undertaken. Bud is Innova's lead professional in its dealings with City housing, planning and zoning agencies, providing often-solicited advice to City policymakers on "workforce" housing initiatives. Bud has received certifications by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) as a Building Analyst and Multi-Family Building Analyst, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Columbia University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Operations
- Vice President of Operations With Innova Project Management
Bob Fritz is the Vice President of Operations with Innova Project Management. Bob's construction background spans some 40 years including his experience with the Multi-family, Residential, Commercial, Healthcare, Retail, Military and Industrial segments. Bob's focus for the last 15 years has been within the Multi-family segment including both Affordable and Market Rate projects.
Before joining Innova Bob joined Allied Construction in March 2016 as Director of Preconstruction. He ran the daily operations for the preconstruction/estimating department which included a staff off 3-5. In 2019, Bob's role expanded to include owner representation for Elon Development's current and future projects which include Luxury, Work Force and Affordable Housing Apartments. Prior to Allied/Elon, Bob spent 10 years as an estimator with Harkins Builders, and was involved in every project in the Delaware and Pennsylvania regions during his time there. He was promoted to Senior Estimator in September of 2013. Bob started his career as a carpenter eventually becoming a master finish carpenter and cabinetmaker.
Since joining Innova, Bob has been involved in several multi-family projects as an Owner's Representative during construction as well as bringing several new projects through the pre-development/pre-construction phases. Bob is a Passive House Certified Trade Person and has experience with other Green/Sustainable designations including LEED, Energy Star, Enterprise Green Communities.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Financial Specialist
Christina Gillis has a background in finance, business administration, fundraising, and event planning. She moved her way up through the YMCA starting as a Membership Service Representative, working at three progressively larger Branches, gaining experience in administrative processes. She has experience with the creation and management of a 7 million budget as well as processing payroll for over 400 employees. Additionally, she worked closely with YMCA Board of Managers and assumed an association leadership role as the Co-chair of the Women's Network Resource Group, for the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. Her passion for helping others is demonstrated with the creation of the community garden at the Roxborough Y, producing over 1,000 pounds of produce in its first year; providing healthy food to those who otherwise would not have been able to afford it. Christina continued her volunteer work with the DCTMA; first as a member of the Bike Committee and then a Board Member. Helping to organize the Annual Bike to Work Event from the Haverford Y to the Media Court House. Christina has a BS in Administration of Justice from the Pennsylvania State University.
Job Titles:
- Building Advisor 's Project Specialist
- Senior Analyst and Field Services Coordinator
Constantino Garcia serves as one of Innova Building Advisor's Project Specialist. Constantino performs Innova's building failure investigations, capital needs assessments, and building performance quality assurance efforts. Constantino has over 25 years of experience in the residential construction field as well as commercial multifamily buildings. Constantino worked for over 15 years as a carpenter/framing subcontractor and also as a home remodeler with experience in all phases of home building. He then transitioned to work 10 years as an Energy Auditor and Quality Control Inspector for New Jersey's Weatherization Assistance Program performing hundreds of energy audits with the mission to improve comfort, energy efficiency and health and safety in low-income family homes. He holds a Multi-family Building Analyst certification and Advanced Home Performance certifications which include Quality Control Inspector and Energy Auditor/Building Analyst from the Building Performance Institute (BPI) as well as RESNET's Home Energy Rater Certification.
Father, husband, mentor, friend to many and one of the most respected voices in Philadelphia regarding affordable housing issues, Jeff is sorely missed. He built a culture of intellectual rigor, bedrock integrity and enduring loyalty at Innova. His partner, Ben Blackburn, takes the reins as President and Owner of Innova and its affiliated companies. Remembering Jeff
Job Titles:
- Founder of Pennrose, Passes
John Rosenthal was friend and mentor to Mr. Allegretti and owned Pennrose Service Company, from which Innova was formed. His impact on Jeff, his staff and the affordable housing industry as a whole was immeasurable.
With extensive education and training in HVAC/R, plumbing, electrical, and general construction trades in industrial, commercial, and residential environments; Kevin contributes to the staging, tracking, and administering of complex plans and budgets for multiple concurrent projects. Before his time with Innova, Kevin was previously a Project Manager in Integrated Facilities Management (IFM), Manufacturing, and Commercial Contracting Fields.
Kimiko is a Senior Project Manager at Innova Services Corporation. Kimiko has over 20 years of architecture, construction and real estate development experience which informs her ability as Owner's Representative. Prior to joining Innova, Kimiko was a Senior Project Manager at the Office for Community Development of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where she was responsible for the planning and execution of affordable senior housing tax credit developments, including hiring and managing the development team. In that role, Kimiko also served as the owner's hands-on Project Manager during the design and construction phases. She has also worked at in historic preservation and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. Kimiko is mission-driven to rebuild neighborhoods, promote smart building practices, and create high quality dwellings for low income individuals and families. Kimiko has a Masters in Urban Planning (MUP) from the University of Michigan, a BS in Architecture from the University of Virginia. Kimiko has a long list of volunteer experiences including supporting immigrants, refugees, and their families, and promoting the Peace Corps' legacy of volunteerism.
LaVonne Clark serves as Innova's Controller and Office Manager, with full charge responsibilities for the corporation's finances and administrative operations. Her responsibilities include the oversight and maintenance of Innova's general ledger and accounting system, the management of payroll and human resource administration, and the coordination and supervision of office functions and clerical staff. LaVonne was formerly the chief financial officer of the Institute for Human Development, a non-profit corporation with $6 million in annual contracts and as many as 75 employees.
Luis Gonzalez is a seasoned construction professional with over 20 years' experience in building inspection quality control and as a construction manager. His diverse background covers both commercial and residential construction, and he has been a member of Local 255 for several years. The skills and knowledge he acquired during his career as a lead foreman and union carpenter enabled him to develop a keen understanding of all phases of construction and trades' best practices, which he brings to bear as the newest member of Innova Building Advisors' Field Services team. Mr. Gonzalez is pursuing certification as a RESNET Rater Field Inspector (RFI) and holds multiple OSHA certifications.
Michael has extensive background in urban infill development with seven years' experience working for an urban multifamily affordable and market rate housing developer as a project design and construction manager. Michael's experience in development management was built on a foundation of work in the municipal sector learning about government systems and operations in relation to urban land planning and development. As a design and construction project manager Michael has been responsible for coordination of large multi-disciplinary teams to achieve project financial and design goals on complex infill sites, under challenging time frames. Michael's coordination knowledge base is rooted in his research completed while earning his Master of Architecture in Affordable Housing and Urban Design at McGill University. While at McGill, Michael completed his primary research paper on how the energy intensity of infill housing can be reduced by improving the communication between primary stakeholders in the multi-family home building process. For his work, Michael was awarded the Cornelia and Peter Oberlander Prize in Urban Design.
Job Titles:
- Regional Manager, New England and Senior Energy Consultant
Nicole serves as Innova Building Advisors' Regional Manager for New England and Senior Energy Consultant. She provides green building consulting, program certification, field verification and diagnostic testing for new and existing building multifamily projects. Nicole guides architects, developers, and builders through Passive House, ENERGY STAR, Zero Energy Ready Homes and Indoor airPLUS and has deep experience using energy modeling software to measure building performance and assist projects' securing utility rebates and incentives.
Prior to working in green building/energy conservation Nicole worked in the health care field, focusing on underserved communities. Nicole went on to attend University of Hartford's College of Engineering Technology and Architecture program. After completion she earned her MDS from Boston Architectural College. During this time, the reality of the inequities of low/fixed-income families and disproportionate energy, health, and financial burdens really came to light. Upon completion of her MDS she earned her sustainable MBA from Green Mountain College, leading her to a systems-based approach to health and the built environment.
Nicole is a Certified Passive House Consultant, PHIUS+ Verifier, RESNET Certified Home Energy Rater and certified verifier for ENERGY STAR, Zero Energy Ready Homes and Indoor airPLUS.
Sally Granger has joined Innova Services Corporation as a Project Manager in the Baltimore office. She was most recently responsible for the contract administration for a large senior living developer while at Moseley Architects.
Initially she was the owner's representative on one of the first LEED certified Greenhouse Project Senior Residences at Stadium Place, working for GEDCO, a local non-profit developer in the Baltimore area. Moving to the general contracting side of the industry, Sally was a member of the on-site construction teams for a variety of non-profit and urban projects, including the City Garage, Waverly Elementary/Middle School, and City Arts II Residences.
Currently, Sally is pursuing her Certified Passive House Consultant credentials and is an avid pickleball player and member of the Food not Lawns movement. Sally holds a Masters degree in Architecture from University of Virginia and a MBA from New York University.
Tom DeLucia is a Project Manager working out of Innova's Philadelphia office. Upon joining Innova, Tom was immediately engaged on a $27 million dollar flood remediation project in Brooklyn. Hurricane Ida hit Brooklyn in September 2021, shortly after the completion of the renovation of 1,321 units of affordable housing that Innova led for its clients Pennrose and NYCHA. Ida's rain and storm surge led to hundreds of apartments needing remediation as well as replacement of boilers, electrical equipment and common area repairs.
Since then, Tom has contributed to both Preconstruction and Construction Administration on a diverse range of projects spanning Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas (USVI). He is also actively involved in Innova's General Contracting division, notably on Rowhome 2.0, an innovative passive house rowhome in South Philadelphia.
Tom brings valuable experience from the Heavy Civil General Contracting sector, where he honed his skills as an Estimator & Project Engineer on Highways & Bridges, Pump Stations, and Site Work projects. He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Construction Management from Drexel University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. During his time at Drexel, Tom demonstrated his passion for community-focused development by leading a team of six in the design of a modular, multi-family housing solution that prioritized affordability, sustainability, and community integration in Philadelphia's Brewerytown neighborhood.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Preconstruction With Innova Project Management
Vaughan Piccolo is the Vice President of Preconstruction with Innova Project Management. Vaughan's concentration is on project design review. He played a key role in the management and growth of Innova's focus on Passive House and ultra-low energy design and construction. Vaughan has extensive experience in all areas of general construction with an emphasis on mechanical systems and building enclosure performance; he was lead building performance technician for Innova's joint research with the Building Science Corporation's and the DOE Building America program.
Vaughan holds certifications as a Certified Passive House Consultant (PHIUS), Passive House Large Building Verifier (PHIUS), RESNET Certified Home Energy Rater and ENERGY STAR® Residential Verification Partner performing ENERGY STAR® for Homes and Indoor airPLUS verifications, NGBS Green Verifier, BPI Building Analyst, ENERGY STAR® for Multifamily Highrise Consultant, Enterprise Green Communities Consultant, and New Jersey's Clean Energy Program Pay for Performance Consultant. Vaughan holds a Bachelor of Sciences in Business Administration from Drexel University, graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Will Cauffman is a Project Manager working out of Innova's Philadelphia office. Upon joining Innova in 2019, Will moved to New York to work full-time on Pennrose's Hope Gardens NYCHA RAD project, a $204 million affordable housing, occupied renovation. Hope Gardens is comprised of 62 buildings, totaling 1,321 units, several community centers, and a daycare. Renovations on the aging development included new mechanical systems, in-unit and common area renovations, envelope and insulation upgrades, and the addition of PV arrays on 50 of the buildings. After renovations were completed in 2022, Will moved back to Philadelphia, managing projects within the city and across the eastern United States.
Prior to Innova, Will worked at Sightlines, a Gordian Company, conducting consulting and sustainability advisory services for higher education facilities management. Will holds a bachelor's degree in Globalization Studies from Gettysburg College.
Will is motivated by a desire to see more healthy homes and environments. This includes minimizing the number of pollutants that are so often present in construction materials, implementing practical sustainability that considers lifecycle and ecosystem impact, and borrowing the best from both traditional and modern construction.